Mademoiselle (1966)

Interesting facts

Mademoiselle is a 1966 French-British psychological thriller film directed by Tony Richardson, from a screenplay by Marguerite Duras and Jean Genet. It stars Jeanne Moreau as the title character, a seemingly-respectable Parisienne schoolteacher in a small French village, who is actually an undetected psychopath.

Production

The original script was written by French writers Jean Genet and Marguerite Duras as a vehicle for actress Anouk Aimée, to be directed by Georges Franju. When Franju dropped out, the script was given by Genet's friend Jeanne Moreau to British director Tony Richardson.

Though Richardson always envisioned Jeanne Moreau as the lead, Jean Genet was opposed to it. Writing for the British Film Institute, critic Alex Ramon wrote that “the actress seems central to the film’s tone and aesthetic in many ways.”

Richardson originally wanted Marlon Brando for the role of Manou, but scheduling could not be arranged.

The film was shot on location in and around the tiny village of Le Rat, in the Corrèze département of central France. The entire production team stayed in what accommodation they could find locally for the duration of the shoot.

During filming, Richardson had an affair with Jeanne Moreau, and he divorced his wife Vanessa Redgrave a year after its release.

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